Britain hits 1.5 million padel players on World Padel Day
The LTA's latest count shows half a million more players than in May, on 2,445 courts at 682 venues.
The Lawn Tennis Association marked World Padel Day on 20 October with a big new number: 1.5 million adults and juniors now play padel in Britain.
From 15,000 to 1.5 million
The growth curve is steep. The LTA's figures put participation at:
- 2019: 15,000
- 2023: 129,000
- 2024: 400,000
- End of 2025: 860,000
- May 2026: 1 million
- October 2026: 1.5 million
That is a hundredfold rise in seven years, and an extra half a million players in just five months.
Where they're playing
According to the governing body, players have 2,445 courts at 682 venues to choose from. Around two-thirds of padel players also play tennis, which suggests the two sports are feeding each other rather than competing.
LTA Head of Padel Tom Murray said that padel "has firmly established itself as one of the country's fastest-growing sports", and that the focus now is on public courts, sustainable growth and training more coaches and activators.
Public courts are next
Access and price are the big issues. The LTA says it is working with the UK Government on funding for publicly owned courts, with pilot projects planned around Britain. More courts in parks, leisure centres and other public spaces could make the game cheaper and easier to try.
Clubs are already doing some of that work. The LTA says more than 80% of venues run local outreach, including sessions for children and young people, women and girls, and under-served groups.
If you've struggled to get a peak-time court lately, these numbers explain why (and our padel prices guide shows what peak time typically costs). The challenge now is building courts fast enough, and in the right places, to keep up.
